Here for You
by Narcissa B Malfoy
Summary: What happens when the only person Narcissa thought would be there for her forever, is sent to Azkaban?


_Disclaimer: As much as I would like to say that I own the Harry Potter universe, my conscience is telling me that that would in fact be a lie._

_I also do not own these lines from Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' from which Narcissa is reading._

_The quotes I used from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire are not mine. Like anyone would believe me if I said they were…_

_So, to conclude, I own nothing. _

_N.B: The Lexicon says that the Lestranges were captured sometime in December, 1981. Here, I am imagining that they were caught mid November-ish. I don't want hate mail about the timelines…_

**Here for You**

_31st October, 1981_

It was shortly after midnight as Narcissa Malfoy looked up at the clock for what must been the fifteenth time. Frowning slightly, she turned her gaze towards her husband, who was pacing back and forth in front of her. He'd been doing that for at least an hour, occasionally muttering to himself or going over to the window, as though whatever was out there would reassure him.

"Must you keep doing that?" she asked irritably. Lucius shot her a dark look before turning his gaze back to the floor. She shook her head slightly and continued her reading.

'_Strange to say, there were hairs in the centre of the palm. The nails were long and fine, and cut to a sharp point. As the count leaned over-'_

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lucius pause, a look of dawning on his face, before he frowned again, slight lines appearing on his hardened features.

'_Strange to say, there were hairs in the centre of the palm. The nails were long and fine, and cut to a sharp point. As the count leaned over-'_

Giving up, Narcissa closed her book, and placed it on the table.

"Lucius don't worry." He whirled around to face her.

"Don't worry!? Narcissa, _look_ at this!" he growled as he yanked up his left sleeve. Instead of a jet-black brand, he revealed a fading image. The normally vivid mark was now practically impossible for one to make out.

"This is _not normal_!" he exclaimed, his voice rising. "Merlin, you should know that!" He walked over to the window. After a moment he sighed ruefully.

"I'm sorry. I just…What do you think is wrong?" Narcissa walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"I don't know. But I'm sure that whatever-" she started but was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a baby crying. She sighed. "I'll be back in a moment. Just try to relax okay?" She placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll come. I need to keep my mind off this." Together, they walked up the stairs and down the hall to their son's room, pushing open the heavy door. Narcissa lifted the crying baby out of his crib and held him close.

"Shh, Draco. It's alright. I'm here." she soothed, patting him on the back lightly. After a minute, he stopped crying and started to hiccup. She laughed.

"Well, we can't have that now can we?" she said, and with a flick of her wand, they had disappeared. She placed him back in his crib, kissing him softly on the forehead. Lucius pulled out his wand and tapped the mobile above Draco's head which began to rotate, projecting images of dragons and broomsticks. Draco watched them fascinated, slowly beginning to drift back off to sleep. His parents snuck back out of the room, quietly closing the door behind them. They were halfway down the stairs when the front door burst open loudly, revealing two dark figures.

"Bella, Rodolphus! What's wrong?" Narcissa asked worriedly, running down to meet them.

"Is knocking too complex for you?" Lucius added sarcastically.

"Something's happened!" Bella exclaimed breathlessly, choosing to ignore her brother-in-law.

"What do you mean? To who?" Narcissa asked as she ushered them into the sitting room for fear of waking Draco up. That was the last thing she needed right now.

"The Dark Lord!" she answered impatiently.

"What!? What do you mean something's happened?"

"Well, Lucius. We think he may have gotten lost on his way out for ice-cream! What in Merlin's name do you think-"

"Alright Bella." Rodolphus interjected, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. Lucius glared at her, his lip curling slightly.

"Are you sure? Maybe-" Narcissa began.

"Cissa, no! There are no maybes about this! Something has gone wrong!" Bella interrupted, frustrated. She was fast losing what little patience she still pertained.

"How do you know this?" Narcissa asked reasonably. Someone had to remain calm, and with the three Death Eaters before her all agitated, it may as well be her.

"Snape said something about-"

"_Snape_?" Lucius repeated. "How does _he_ know what happened?"

"I don't know the details! Anyway, isn't it obvious something is wrong? Isn't your mark burning?"

"Burning? It's more or less _gone_!" Lucius spat, yanking up his sleeve once again. Bella and Rodolphus stared at it, as if they were hoping the mark would suddenly re-appear at any moment and yell 'Gotcha!' Snapping out of their stupor a moment later, they all shook their heads disconsolately.

"But…a _baby_! Of all things…He told us the precautions he took. I guess-I guess it just wasn't…enough…"

"Shut up, Lucius! He _isn't_ _gone_! Something happened that he hadn't planned on, but he is _not_ gone! 'Lucius Malfoy: the _epitome_ of a faithful Death Eater!'" Bella spat. As Lucius opened his mouth to retort, Narcissa cut in.

"Be quiet both of you! Draco is asleep! Though I don't know _how_ what with the noise you two are making." She hissed. Bella and Lucius immediately stopped arguing, knowing that Narcissa was serious when she got cross. Silence fell between the four, each lost in their own thoughts.

"We have to find him!" Bella announced breaking the silence. Rodolphus nodded in agreement.

"What? Bella, you _can't_! You've avoided capture so far, and excuse me for saying this, but that was all just luck!"

"Skill," Bella corrected.

"Luck," Narcissa insisted.

"Cissy, we have to find him and restore him to power. You don't want Mudbloods taking over, do you?" She turned to Lucius, not bothering to wait for her sister's reply. "Are you ready?" Narcissa spun around to face her husband, waiting for his reply. He stared at Bella for a moment.

"I'm not going." he said firmly. Narcissa inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Although she fully supported the Dark Lord and all he stood for, she did not want to think what could happen to her husband, especially now when everybody would be celebrating his downfall. It was too risky. Bella's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Fine." she replied coldly, but, by her tone of voice, it was far from fine. She and Rodolphus turned to leave.

"Where are you going? What are you going to do?" Narcissa asked uneasily, taking a step forward. Bella glanced at Rodolphus before turning to face her younger sister.

"We're not sure yet. Possibly pay a visit to Longbottom and his _dear_ wife." Bella answered, a dangerous smirk playing across her features. Lucius snorted in amusement.

"That bumbling fool! Why in Merlin's name are you going to waste your time on him?"

Bella looked at him like he was an idiot.

"You have no idea, do you?" She asked, as Lucius glowered at her. She sighed dramatically. "We didn't just choose their name randomly out of a cauldron, Lucius. If we decide to call in on the Longbottoms, it will be for a number of reasons." She said, ticking them off on her fingers. "One, they're Aurors, and two, they defied the Dark Lord _three_ times. We thought we might attain revenge whilst looking for answers. It's a win-win situation." Bella said confidently, as if all she was saying made perfect sense.

"And the fact that they are blood traitors is just an added bonus." Rodolphus concluded.

"Exactly!" Bella nodded, her eyes gleaming madly. "Cissy, don't worry. We'll be fine." she reassured, seeing the intense look of worry upon her sister's face.

"We'd better be going. I told Rabastan and Crouch we'd meet them five minutes ago," Rodolphus urged. Bella nodded and turned to Narcissa who ran forward, hugging her sister tightly.

"_Please_ be careful, Bella."

"Of course. I'll see you soon." And with that, Bella and Rodolphus dissaparated with two loud cracks.

Silence permeated throughout the room once more. Narcissa, starring at the space Bella and Rodolphus had just vacated, didn't move. Lucius walked over and wrapped his arms around his wife, trying to offer her some measure of comfort.

"They'll be fine" he assured her. She turned into his embrace, burying her face in the folds of his robes.

"Thank you, Lucius."

"For what?"

"For not going with them. I don't know what I would do if I lost you." Lucius placed a kiss on top of her head.

"I'm always going to be here for you."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_14th November, 1981_

Sitting with her hands folded neatly in her lap, Narcissa looked around the dimly lit chamber, her eyes falling on the four chairs situated in the centre of the…room, if one could call it that. It may have been the chains clinking ominously against the legs of the chairs, or perhaps the knowledge that her own husband's trial was quickly approaching, but Narcissa has a very portentous feeling about her. Lucius assured her that he would be fine, that he would not leave her, but she could not help but be worried for him.

_But at least I have a hold of myself_, Narcissa thought cynically as she glanced up at the wispy-looking witch sitting next to Crouch. She watched the woman as she clutched a handkerchief to her mouth, trying in vain to stifle her loud, dry sobs. But, apart from that, the dungeon was silent. Narcissa's eyes scanned the right-hand side of the chamber where all fifty members of the Wizengamot were seated, all in the same plum-coloured robes, all emblazoned with a silver 'W' on the left-hand side of their chest.

The remaining seats were filled with witches and wizards, as though they had all come to watch some grand sporting event. Normally, Narcissa detested sitting amongst this many people who were obviously below her, but not today. She was, oddly enough, grateful for the crowd; she didn't stand out as much. Lucius had insisted that she not come, fearing what it would look like for him if his own wife was at the trial of a known Death Eater, who just so happened to be her sister.

But Narcissa had to come. She was not going to stand idly by and read about her sister's fate in the paper. She had to be here for her, just like Bella was always there for her…

"_Now, Narcissa darling, you've got everything you need, but if the elves have foolishly forgotten something, just owl us and we'll send it to you, okay?" Druella fussed. _

"_Yes, Mother."_

"_And if you-"_

"_Druella, darling. She's going to be fine. She'll have Bella and Andromeda looking out for her." Cygnus said, placing a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. Druella nodded, knowing he was right but didn't seem to be able to stop herself as she pulled Narcissa towards her into a hug. _

"_Be good." She advised, still holding onto her tightly._

"_Mother, I'll be fine. Really. You can let me go now." Narcissa tried to break out of her mother's embrace, to no avail._

"_Mother, we really have to go." Bellatrix insisted as the train whistle sounded. As Druella reluctantly let go of Narcissa, Cygnus pulled his eldest daughter aside quickly._

"_Keep an eye on her, Bella. For your Mother's sake." Bella rolled her eyes._

"_I was going to anyway." She scoffed. Cygnus smiled._

"_Good." And with that, Bella turned back to her sister and helped her carry her trunk onto the train. Once aboard, the three sisters waved goodbye to their parents as the train edged away, gradually gathering up speed as it departed from the station. _

"_I'll see you guys later okay?" Andromeda said, walking off. Bella nodded and started to lead Narcissa to the carriage she usually sat in. _

"_Bella? Doesn't Andy sit with you?"_

"_No not normally. She has her friends, I have mine. Now come on. Our carriage is just-"_

"_Bella, no." Bella stopped and turned around. _

"_What's wrong?" Bella asked, eager to find her seat._

"_I'm not going to sit with you."_

"_Why not?"_

"_I don't want people knowing you're my sister-" Narcissa began, before Bella interrupted._

"_Umm…Sorry to break this to you, but I think it would be pretty obvious anyway." Bella replied. The Black sister's, whilst having completely different colouring, all had similar features. _

"_No. It's not that. If people know I'm your sister, they'll treat me better."_

"_And that's…bad?" Bella asked, totally confused._

"_No. I just want to make friends on my own, without people knowing I'm related to you. Does that make sense?" Bella stared at her younger sister for a minute._

"_No, not really. But it's up to you. If you need me, I'll be in the fourth carriage."_

"_Okay." And with that, Bella went to her own carriage. Narcissa watched her leave before walking in the opposite direction, eventually coming across an empty compartment. _

_After a while, Narcissa started to get bored. _Maybe sitting with Bella wouldn't have been so bad…_she thought to herself. At least she would have company. Just as she was considering getting up and going to find Bella, the compartment door opened, revealing four Gryffindor boys. Upon noticing Narcissa, they immediately stopped talking and the lead boy smirked cruelly to his friends. _

"_Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he asked rhetorically. _

"_If you don't mind, _I_ am in here." Narcissa said in what she hoped was a confident voice. _

"_Well actually. We _do_ mind. You see, us being fifth years, have more of a right to be in here than you, a mere first year. So if _you_ don't mind," he gestured to the door, implying that she should give up the compartment and leave. Narcissa crossed her arms._

"_I'm not leaving."_

"_I think you'll find that you are." The boy said, cracking his knuckles menacingly._

"_Is that supposed to frighten me?" Narcissa asked mockingly. The boy continued to advance towards her and just as she was about to reach into her robes to pull out her wand, Narcissa heard a voice from the doorway._

"_Is there a problem in here?" Bella asked coldly. The boys turned around to face her, a look of dread crossing their features when they saw who it was._

"_B-Bellatrix! No, no, of course not! We were j-just-"_

"_I'd appreciate it if you left my sister alone. You have no right to even look at her, you disgusting filth."_

"_Y-your sister? We-we didn't know…" they stuttered. _

"_Indeed." Bella stared at them callously. "Come, Cissa." She said, holding out her hand to her sister. Narcissa didn't need telling twice. She hurried past the boys, over to Bella's side. Once they were out in the corridor of the train, Bella stopped and looked her sister in the eyes. _

"_I told you to come and find me if you needed me."_

"_I didn't need you!" Narcissa said indignantly as they made their way to Bella's carriage. _

"_So you could have handled those four boys?" Narcissa nodded._

"_Yes, yes I could have." Bella laughed._

"_Cissy, they were ten times your height!"_

"_But I had that spell you taught me. I was all ready to use it!" Bella sighed and gave her sister a smile._

"_Are you okay though?" Narcissa nodded. _

"_Good," Bella turned to open the compartment door, but Narcissa stopped her, grabbing onto her sleeve._

"_Thanks, Bella. For helping me back there." She said quietly. _

"_Anytime, Cissy. I'll always be here for you. I promise." Bella answered, hugging her sister. "Now, let me introduce you to everybody." Bella said, pulling open the compartment door._

Crouch's voice suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere, interrupting Narcissa's musings.

"Bring them in." His voice echoed. Narcissa and the rest of the people sitting in the crowd turned to the door on the far corner of the chamber and Narcissa felt a shiver run through her, one that had nothing to do with the high, stone ceiling or the windowless walls. Bella, Rodolphus, Rabastan and Barty Crouch Jr entered the dungeon, flanked by no less than six Dementors. As the approached, Narcissa felt a cold feeling wash over her, now knowing what people meant when they said that Dementors made you feel as though you'd never be happy again. She found herself reliving the worst times of her life; Andromeda's desertion, Sirius's betrayal, Regulus's disappearance. _How has Bella put up this?_ Narcissa wondered sympathetically.

Shaking herself slightly, she watched intently as Bella was led towards the centre of the room. As she passed, Bella caught her sister's eye and gave her a worried smile.

The Dementors placed each of them in one of the four chairs and as soon as they had been seated, the chains glowed a brilliant gold and snaked their way up the arms of Bella and the others, binding them to the chair.

_As if they could escape anyway, _Narcissa thought to herself bitterly.

Crouch began to talk, listing the crimes the four had committed, at times having to yell to be heard over the pleas of his son. Narcissa noticed then how her sister was sitting. Bella wasn't acting like she was being held in that chair against her will at all. She was in fact, sitting in it as though it was a throne and Narcissa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Bella always had to be difficult. But, a close look at Bella's face revealed the truth. To everyone else, Bella was self-assured, confident even. Only Narcissa seemed to detect the fleeting glimpse of fear in her sister's eyes. And she didn't blame her.

"I now ask the jury to raise their hands if they believe, as I do, that these crimes deserve a life sentence in Azkaban." Crouch shouted. Narcissa's felt her heart begin to beat faster; she heard the pounding in her ears. She would not have been surprised if everyone else in the chamber could hear it as well. In the centre of the room, Bella gripped the arms of the chair, her white knuckles the only sign of her trepidation.

Narcissa let out the breath she had unknowingly held as the jury along the right-hand side of the dungeon raised their hands unanimously. She desperately tried to hold back her tears when the crowd around the walls began to clap, their faces full of savage triumph. She was not going to become a blubbering mess like that woman next to Crouch. She had more dignity than that.

The Dementors glided back into the room and as Bella rose from her seat, she glared fiercely up at Crouch.

"The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban, we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"

Narcissa placed her head in her hands and groaned quietly. _Why, Bella? Why did you have to go and say that for?_

Some people amongst the crowd were now on their feet, jeering and clapping loudly in support of Crouch's decision. Narcissa looked up and noticed an old lady standing at the front of the crowd, clapping loudest of all. Wearing a long lace-trimmed dress, her fox fur scarf was moth-eaten. On her head, she wore a hat with an ornate stuffed vulture perched on top and in her arms she held a little boy about Draco's age.

Just before Bella swept out of the chamber, she paused and caught her sister's eye once again, the single tear running down her cheek going unnoticed as everyone watched Barty struggling with the Dementors, refusing to be taken back to Azkaban. The two sisters didn't need words to convey what they felt at that moment, the look in their eyes enough to express their pain at the knowledge that they would never see each other again.

Narcissa turned her gaze towards the chair her sister had occupied only moments before, the chair that held Bella as her fate was decided

"_I'll always be here for you. I promise."_

As Bella's words echoed through her mind, Narcissa had never felt more alone.

Narcissa made her way up the drive to the Manor, not knowing exactly how she managed to apparate herself home in her current state. No sooner had she stepped into the warmth of the entrance hall, Lucius came out of his office to meet her.

"Cissa! Where have you been? I've been worried sick-" He stopped talking abruptly upon seeing his wife desperately trying to hold back her tears. She just shook her head and started to make her way up the stairs, when Lucius placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Cissy? What's wrong?"

"Bella's been sent to Azkaban," she managed to choke out after a moments silence.

"How do you know this?"

"I was at her trial. I heard Crouch give the verdict." A hardened look crossed her husband's face as she said this.

"I thought I asked you not to go?" Narcissa whirled around to face her husband.

"She's my sister, Lucius! I couldn't not go!" she screamed.

"Do you realise how this looks for _me_ now! What am I going to say if I get asked why my _wife_ was at the trial of Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"Frankly, Lucius, I don't care! It's not always about _you_!! Anyway, I'm sure you can just _buy_ your way out of trouble!" Narcissa spat scathingly, tears pouring down her face.

"You don't understand! Now, I have _no_ sisters! Draco no longer has any god-parents! Bella and I did everything together, _everything. _And now I have no-one! Who am I going to talk to? What am _I_ going to do?" she cried hysterically, frantically wiping her tears away with her sleeve. Forgetting any anger he may have felt, Lucius stepped forward, taking his wife in his arms, tyring to offer her some measure of comfort.

"You have me. You can talk to me."

"But I won't have you if you get sent to Azkaban. You can't leave me! I wouldn't know what to do without you! I don't want you to go. You can't go." She sobbed into his robes. Lucius brought his head down to her ear,

"I'm not going to go anywhere. I promise you." He whispered intensely. Narcissa clutched tightly onto her husband.

"But if you-"

"What I said to you the night the Dark Lord fell still stands; I'm always going to be here for you. I am _never_ going to leave you. "


End file.
